Genesis 6:1

1 And it came to pass when mankind began to multiply on the earth, and daughters were born to them,

Genesis 6:1 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 6:1

And it came to pass, when men began to multiply upon the
face of the earth
Either mankind in general, or rather the posterity of Cain, who were mere natural men, such as they were when born into the world, and as brought up in it, destitute of the grace of God, and of the knowledge and fear of him; and who in proportion much more multiplied than the posterity of Seth, because of the practice of polygamy, which by the example of Lamech, one of that race, might prevail among them: and daughters were born unto them;
not daughters only, but sons also, though it may be more daughters than sons, or it may denote remarkable ones, for their beauty or immodesty, or both; and chiefly this is observed for the sake of what follows.

Genesis 6:1 In-Context

1 And it came to pass when mankind began to multiply on the earth, and daughters were born to them,
2 that the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair, and took themselves wives of all that they chose.
3 And Jehovah said, My Spirit shall not always plead with Man; for he indeed is flesh; but his days shall be a hundred and twenty years.
4 In those days were the giants on the earth, and also afterwards, when the sons of God had come in to the daughters of men, and they had borne [children] to them; these were the heroes, who of old were men of renown.
5 And Jehovah saw that the wickedness of Man was great on the earth, and every imagination of the thoughts of his heart only evil continually.

Footnotes 2

  • [a]. Or 'Man;' and so vers. 2.4, 'men.' See Note to chs. 1.27; 3.12 and cf. ch. 7.21, &c.
  • [b]. Lit. 'ground.'
The Darby Translation is in the public domain.